Kerby Anderson

Are we becoming a nation of thieves? That is a question Victor Davis Hanson asks near the end of a long essay on what is happening to America. In previous commentaries, I’ve talked about the smash-and-grab robberies that have been taking place in major cities and sometimes even in the suburbs. But the problem isn’t just happening in some of these isolated localities.

To understand the stories he recounts, you need to know that Victor Davis Hanson lives on his family's farm in a rural area that is south of Fresno, California. It is far away from big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.

At the Home Depot, he wondered why there were such long lines to check out since most of the other checkout stations were closed. A clerk explained that was due to the high theft rate. He also learned that “almost any large item in a box purchased at Home Depot had to be first opened to ensure that key parts like knobs, wires, and screws had not been ripped off.”

A local Walmart stopped its 24-hour service. A clerk explained that keeping the store open was unsustainable because of looting that took place during the early morning hours. If you go to Walgreens and Rite-Aid, you will notice that everything from razors to antihistamines are under lock-and-key.

He explains that none of this was true just a decade ago. This is a rural area and unlike the cities where looting and robberies have forced mass closures of pharmacies and convenience stores.

When district attorneys and other prosecutors announce that theft under $950 will no longer be prosecuted, people take note. It sends a “signal to criminals that property crimes don’t warrant arrest, much less conviction, much less incarceration.”

There are still law-abiding Americans, but sadly we are beginning to look more and more like a nation of thieves.